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Locomotion Laboratory
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publications:publications_podcasts_pick_of_the_month [2019/07/31 09:57]
Martin Grimmer [Upcoming Public Talks on Powered Prosthetics and Exoskeletons]
publications:publications_podcasts_pick_of_the_month [2019/10/22 10:18]
Christian
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 ====== Previous News ====== ====== Previous News ======
 +
 +==== Bio-Inspired Balance Control Assistance Can Reduce Metabolic Energy Consumption in Human Walking ====
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 +A new control method for exoskeleton, which is inspired by a human posture control concept, is proposed and tested in this research. It can not only facilitate the human gait, but also reduce the exoskeleton power consumption. This study is presented in a recently published paper by Zhao et al. in [[https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8794599|IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering]]. 
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 +{{ :control_scheme_zhao.png?nolink&500|}}
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 +
 +
 +**Abstract:** 
 +
 +The amount of research on developing exoskeletons for human gait assistance has been growing in the recent years. However, the control design of exoskeletons for assisting human walking remains unclear. This paper presents a novel bio-inspired reflex-based control for assisting human walking. In this approach, the leg force is used as a feedback signal to adjust hip compliance. The effects of modulating hip compliance on walking gait is investigated through joint kinematics, leg muscle activations and overall metabolic costs for eight healthy young subjects. Reduction in the average metabolic cost and muscle activation are achieved with fixed hip compliance. Compared to the fixed hip compliance, improved assistance as reflected in more consistent reduction in muscle activities and more natural kinematic behaviour are obtained using the leg force feedback. Furthermore, smoother motor torques and less peak power are two additional advantages obtained by compliance modulation. The results show that the proposed control method which is inspired by human posture control can not only facilitate the human gait, but also reduce the exoskeleton power consumption. This demonstrates that the proposed bio-inspired controller allows a synergistic interaction between human and robot.
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 +For further publications of the author please check: [[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guoping_Zhao2|ResearchGate]], 
 +[[https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1908-5388|ORCID]] or [[https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/378544/overview|LOOP]]
 +\\
 +
 +
 +
 +==== Parallel compliance design for increasing robustness and efficiency in legged locomotion-proof of concept ====
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 +A new concept for simultanous design and control of parallel compliance is introduced in this research. The analytical design approach is based on hybrid zero dynamics control method and the goal is increasing robustness in locomotion. This study is presented in a recently published paper by Sharbafi et al., in by Grimmer et al. in [[https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=8716548|IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics]]. 
 +
 +{{ :5link.png?205|}}
 +{{ :acrobat.png?250|}}
 +
 +**Abstract:** 
 +
 +Benefiting from serial compliance in series elastic actuators can be considered as a breakthrough in robotics. Recently, applying the parallel compliance in robot designs is growing based on its advantages such as reduction in consumed torques. In this paper, we aim at employing parallel compliance to increase walking robustness of bipedal robots against model uncertainties. Utilizing passive compliant elements instead of adapting the controller in order to cope with uncertainties makes the system more efficient and less sensitive to measurement issues such as delays and noise. We introduce a methodology for designing both parallel compliance and controller using hybrid zero dynamics concept. This study includes simulation results representing the design approach and preliminary experiments on parallel compliance effects on efficiency of a robot joint position control. The simulations comprise a compass gait (2-link) model and a 5-link model (see the figures). The ground slope and robot segment lengths are considered as uncertain parameters in the first and second models, respectively. The control target is met by the insertion of compliant structures parallel to the actuators. In order to employ the proposed method on a real robot, we suggest using pneumatic air muscles as parallel compliant elements. Pilot experiments on the knee joint of BioBiped3 robot support the feasibility of suggested method.
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 +
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 +For further publications of the author please check: [[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maziar_Ahmad_Sharbafi|ResearchGate]], [[https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=MENjywMAAAAJ&hl=en|Google Scholar]], [[https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5727-7527|ORCID]] or [[https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/254590/overview|LOOP]]
 +\\
 +
 +
 +
 +==== Stance and Swing Detection Based on the Angular Velocity of Lower Limb Segments During Walking  ====
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 +A new concept for stance and swing detection based on lower limb segments is introduced in a recently published paper by Grimmer et al. in //Frontiers in Neurorobotics// [[https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbot.2019.00057/full?&utm_source=Email_to_authors_&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=T1_11.5e1_author&utm_campaign=Email_publication&field=&journalName=Frontiers_in_Neurorobotics&id=459435|Stance and Swing Detection Based on the Angular Velocity of Lower Limb Segments During Walking]]. 
 +
 +{{ :stance_swing_concept.png?nolink&500|}}
 +{{ :stance_and_swing2.png?nolink&108|}}
 +
 +**Abstract:** 
 +
 +Lower limb exoskeletons require the correct support magnitude and timing to achieve user assistance. This study evaluated whether the sign of the angular velocity of lower limb segments can be used to determine the timing of the stance and the swing phase during walking. We assumed that stance phase is characterized by a positive, swing phase by a negative angular velocity. Thus, the transitions can be used to also identify heel-strike and toe-off. Thirteen subjects without gait impairments walked on a treadmill at speeds between 0.5 and 2.1 m/s on level ground and inclinations between −10 and +10°. Kinematic and kinetic data was measured simultaneously from an optical motion capture system, force plates, and five inertial measurement units (IMUs). These recordings were used to compute the angular velocities of four lower limb segments: two biological (thigh, shank) and two virtual that were geometrical projections of the biological segments (virtual leg, virtual extended leg). We analyzed the reliability (two sign changes of the angular velocity per stride) and the accuracy (offset in timing between sign change and ground reaction force based timing) of the virtual and biological segments for detecting the gait phases stance and swing. The motion capture data revealed that virtual limb segments seem superior to the biological limb segments in the reliability of stance and swing detection. However, increased signal noise when using the IMUs required additional rule sets for reliable stance and swing detection. With IMUs, the biological shank segment had the least variability in accuracy. The IMU-based heel-strike events of the shank and both virtual segment were slightly early (3.3–4.8% of the gait cycle) compared to the ground reaction force-based timing. Toe-off event timing showed more variability (9.0% too early to 7.3% too late) between the segments and changed with walking speed. The results show that the detection of the heel-strike, and thus stance phase, based on IMU angular velocity is possible for different segments when additional rule sets are included. Further work is required to improve the timing accuracy for the toe-off detection (swing). 
 +
 +For further publications of the author please check: [[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin_Grimmer3|ResearchGate]], [[https://scholar.google.de/citations?hl=de&user=gDF_uHUAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate|Google Scholar]], [[https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1921-1433|ORCID]] or [[https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/390560/overview|LOOP]]
 +\\
 +
  
 ==== From template to anchors: leg force can tune muscle activation  ==== ==== From template to anchors: leg force can tune muscle activation  ====